Agni-5 ICBM to be a reality next year: DRDO chief

New Delhi: India is on course to test fire
the over 5,000 km range nuclear-capable Agni-5 missile next
year and a successful mission would put the country in an
elite club of nations with Inter-Continental Ballistic
Missile (ICBM) capabilities.

"Work is progressing satisfactorily in the development of
Agni-5, which is expected to become a reality next year. With
this, DRDO would have given India a comprehensive indigenous
strategic capability, available with only a few nations of the
world," DRDO chief V K Saraswat said at the National
Technology Day awards function here. Agni-5 is the country`s
most ambitious strategic missile.
Agni-5 will be the first canistered road-mobile ballistic
missile--with a range of over 5,000 km--in the country`s
military arsenal, bringing possible targets in the whole of
China and Pakistan within striking range. The missile is
likely to be tested early next year.

Missiles which are capable of being launched from
canisters can be fired from multiple platforms and are easily
transportable by road. As a result, Agni-5 can reach every
continent except North and South America from various places
across India.

Commenting on the Indian missile programme, Saraswat
said, "the success of Agni-3 and other tests have confirmed
India`s strategic deterrence capability, which could not have
been possible without the preceding developmental efforts in
these programmes."
Agni-5 is similar to the Dongfeng-31A that created
ripples during China`s National Day Military Parade in Beijing
on October 1 last. India`s current long-range missile, the
Agni-3, a non-canisterised missile, can only be moved with
difficulty from one place to another.

The Agni-5 is specially tailored for road-mobility,
according to defence scientists.

With the canister having been successfully developed,
all India`s future land-based strategic missiles are expected
to be canisterised as well.